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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPark and Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes 06-08-2006MINUTES OF THE PARK AND RECREATION ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING June 8, 2006 Page 1 PRESENT: Commissioners Fiemann, Krahulec, Davis, Mohagen, Singer, Aamoth, Rezabek, Griwac; staff Anderson, Blank, Evans ABSENT: Commissioner Pederson 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Fiemann called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Rezabek moved and Krahulec seconded a motion to approve the March 2006 minutes. Motion carried, all ayes. 3. VISITOR PRESENTATIONS a. Athletic Associations. None were present at the meeting. b. Staff. Nancy Anderson, volunteer coordinator, stated she's been with the city 13 years and started the city's volunteer program. She distributed a copy of the volunteer services' mission statement to PRAC. In 2005, the city worked with 1,295 volunteers for 14,498 volunteer hours, translating to $254,440 of value added to the city. Not every city has a volunteer program. We are fairly unique. The parks and recreation staff uses volunteers the most — 79 of the 107 positions were in parks and recreation. The city has many special events in which volunteers play an essential role. In 2005, 453 volunteers helped with 12 different special events. We also have volunteers help with special mailings, downhill ski chaperones, ones who check on trail conditions, front desk greeters at the Plymouth Creek Center, clerical assistant at the main parks and recreation office, Stewards for Greening Plymouth, firearm safety instructors, and babysitter training instructors. New volunteer positions this past year at parks and recreation were the Millennium Garden caretakers who weed, mulch, deadhead flowers, water, etc; Team Green Tree who do plantings, mulching, and buckthorn removal. Last summer we started the log cabin guide program, so residents could find out about the log cabin at Parkers Lake and learn about Plymouth's history. Volunteers were there on Tuesday nights during the summer concert series and Wednesday nights during the water ski shows. Another new position is a wordsmith who will go through all park and recreation publications to update and revamp the wording. Another volunteer is a mystery visitor who visits the Ice Center and the Plymouth Creek Center anonymously to do site visits and check on things like cleanliness, etc. The summer teen volunteer program consists of 34 teens that will undergo training next week. These teens must be at least 14 and the oldest this year is 17. They will help with 22 different summer recreation programs. They lower the participant to staff ratio, and they learn leadership and teamwork skills, etc. Fiemann asked PRAC Minutes/June 2006 Page 2 how often we do firearm safety training. Anderson said two to three times per year. Rezabek wants to see the cleanliness report on the Ice Center when it's available. Fiemann asked about the number of gardeners helping with the Millennium Garden. Anderson thought 10-12. Blank talked about the high quality volunteers that Anderson has managed to secure to help all the departments throughout the City. Evans discussed how she too would miss Nancy when she retires. She agrees that our volunteer program is very unique and without her help we wouldn't be able to offer all the special events we do. Evans mentioned that the Yard and Garden event raised $11,000 for the garden this year. We are already planning for next year's event. We're toying with the idea of having a Friday night/Saturday morning event. The beaches opened June 3 and will remain open through Aug. 27. We've already had a report of swimmer's itch. Several programs begin the week of June 12, with the remainder starting the following week. The summer concerts begin the week of June 12 at both the Parkers Lake Park and the Hilde. Coming events include the Roll the Dice Bike Rally, followed by Music in Plymouth. In between those two events will be the Music in Plymouth Fun Run on June 24. Evans said that staff is busy working on the arts policy and the MRPA state conference, which will be in Plymouth this fall. We're working on the 2007 budget and in a couple of weeks programmers will be planning for fall programs. The volunteers who work at the Millennium Garden also include garden hosts, another new position this year that Anderson forgot to mention, Evans said. From June 1St through Sept. 30, there are 34 garden weddings scheduled. Blank said that Evans is very busy with 50- 60 hour weeks being put in. Fiemann asked about tree bags he's seen around the city around the base of trees. Evans said they hold water. Rezabek talked about the tire ruts in LaCompte Park. They were fixed the very next day, he said, and he was very grateful for that. Blank said it was caused by the lawn mowing that had to be done while the turf was still wet. c. Others. There were no other presentations. 4. REPORT ON PAST COUNCIL ACTION a. Accepted $2,500 contribution from Life Time Fitness for garden. The Council accepted a contribution from Life Time Fitness for Millennium Garden artwork. The total contribution will be $10,000 when it's fully donated. This is on a year - by -year basis. When we get the art policy done, we will go out for an RFP to try and commission an original piece of artwork in the garden. Davis asked if that was a no strings attached contribution? Blank said yes, however, Life Time wants to see the piece of artwork before we purchase it. 5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Update on comp plan. Blank distributed a map showing the most recent version of the comp plan. A staff team developed plans 1, 2 & 3. The Planning Commission developed a fourth plan. The Council took all the information from PRAC Minutes/June 2006 Page 3 those plans and developed this map that was distributed at the PRAC meeting. To meet the Met Council's mandate for land use planning, we need to be at three units per acre, Blank explained. This plan is under that by 700 units. Staff needs to prepare some additions and changes to pick up those 700 units and where they might go in this plan. The Council is planning on next Tuesday night to review this plan. The sewer plan, water plan, and park plan will be a spin off of this. It is estimated this will take another 14-16 months. The target date is early 2008 to have all plans done. The work that was done earlier on off-road biking will result in more meetings, etc. We will continue to be the lead on the off-road bike trails. As data and information is developed on those, more meetings will likely be held. The overall goal is to make Plymouth a more bike - friendly city. Bicyclists would like to see some maps displayed of the bike trails that are installed throughout the city, so they know where the trails will take them. Staff had a meeting with the Silver Buckle Saddle Club. They are interested in being involved with the Northwest Greenway and the horse -riding portion of that system. They would be willing to move somewhere closer to the Greenway from their current location, which is north of County 47. They want to retain the ability to ride horses in Plymouth. The Council will be putting the final touches on this plan Tuesday night. Fiemann asked if wetlands are deducted when the Met Council does its calculations of units per acre. Blank said he believes so. We may be closer to those three units per acre than originally thought. Fiemann said it would be nice if they had some condos somewhat near that northwest loop, the big wetland around the high school. Rezabek was concerned about what schools all these kids would attend. Blank pointed out on Vicksburg Lane where the farm property for the 10th playfield would be. Aamoth asked about the original four plans that had been prepared by staff and the Planning Commission. Each plan as they went up had more density Blank explained. The Council wanted to go down in density, rather than up. If we meet the three units per acre as mandated by the Met Council, we've then met their goal. If it comes in at less than that, we will have to negotiate. Until the Council decides what the numbers are, we won't know if we have a problem, Blank said. b. Continue review of park ordinances. At a previous PRAC meeting, Blank distributed some of the ordinances we currently administer and comparisons with other communities' ordinances. We narrowed it down to about four different areas and had the city attorney draft some new language covering picnic fires, overnight camping, noise, and model rockets. The camping ordinance is all underlined because at this time, we don't have camping in the city, so this language is all new. We probably have five campouts a year right now for certain special events. We cover noise in other areas, but not noise in parks. We get a number of calls each year about model rockets. No ordinance addresses this at this time. We don't want model rockets being discharged near playgrounds, etc. This ordinance would address when and where model rockets could be discharged. Bonfires are not allowed right now, but we waive it for the Fire & Ice Festival, Blank explained. Recreational fires are allowed on PRAC Minutes/June 2006 Page 4 your own private property. Singer agreed that fires only in metal grills should be sent on to the Council. REZABEK MOVED AND SINGER SECONDED A MOTION TO SEND THE ORDINANCE ON FIRES ONLY IN METAL GRILLS TO THE COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL. MOTION CARRIED, ALL AYES. Rezabek asked about the overnight camping verbiage. The proposed ordinance does not address what you're staying in, tents vs. recreational vehicles. Blank said it simply doesn't allow overnight camping right now. Blank said the proposed language would allow any type of overnight camping with the permission of the Parks and Recreation Director. Blank's only concern would be where tent stakes would be driven down, so as to avoid underground irrigation lines. SINGER MOVED AND REZABEK SECONDED TO RECOMMEND TO THE CITY COUNCIL THAT OVERNIGHT CAMPING BE PERMITTED WITH PARK AND RECREATION DIRECTOR APPROVAL. MOTION CARRIED, ALL AYES. A question was raised regarding what happens if someone violates an ordinance? Blank said they would be asked to leave the park by the police. There probably would not be a fine associated with it, unless they disobey the order of the police officer. Singer has a problem with the noise ordinance. She doesn't support recommending this one at all. Currently the noise ordinance has limits at night and during the day, which is set at a certain decibel level. All police cars are equipped with monitors that check the level of noise. REZABEK MOVED AND DAVIS SECONDED TO DELETE THE NOISE ORDINANCE. MOTION CARRIED, ALL AYES. Rezabek was concerned about model rockets being discharged on lakes during the winter months. Blank said anything on the water is patrolled by the DNR. We would not enforce anything taking place on any lake. Blank explained further that we don't have to cover that in this ordinance. Fiemann asked who usually shoots off model rockets. Blank said dads and their kids, mainly. Blank explained that he currently allows it at soccer fields, etc. Rezabek asked if remote control airplanes and helicopters would be included in the model rocket ordinance, and if not, he'd like to suggest that they be added. Aamoth wanted to know who would have the authority to say it's okay to discharge the model rockets? Blank said we would develop guidelines so that all city personnel would know what's allowed. The guidelines would state the places where it's allowed. Generally the police would explain the ordinance and ask people to refrain from what they were doing, but they would not tell people to leave the park. Singer wants verbiage in the ordinance to be consistent. It should either state city's parks and recreation department or just parks and recreation department. REZABEK MOVED TO RECOMMEND APPROVING THE MODEL ROCKET ORDINANCE. DAVIS SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED, SEVEN AYES. Krahulec voted nay, because he doesn't think there's a problem now with model rockets. Staff will look into the suggestion by Rezabek regarding adding remote control devices to the model rocket ordinance. c. Update on Zachary Playfield remodel. We are out for bid, Blank stated. We have finished the design, the Little League approved it, and we're opening bids on June 29. We'll award the bid at the first Council meeting in July. The Little PRAC Minutes/June 2006 Page 5 League has given us $100,000 so far; they still owe $150,000. The construction cost went up. Lighting became an issue, so we're going to light only one of the three fields at this time. The other two fields will get all the underground utilities necessary for future lighting. Our plan now is to commence construction in late July/early August. We will sod the project with help from the Little League dads and ICWC crews. Their baseball season is underway right now, but they should be done by the end of July. Krahulec asked which of the three fields would be lit. Blank said the one furthest west. The new advances in lighting allow for the lighting to be more controlled and cut off at a sharper angle. 6. NEW BUSINESS a. 2006 trail improvement project. Blank stated that we annually do a trail project. We have $75,000 budgeted this year. Blank showed where we have gaps in trails. On the map, the ones in yellow on 101 will be done with the 101 improvement project. The county will also do the one on 24. At fire station 3, half of the neighbors want the trail, and the other half don't. The one on 10th Avenue is wanted by all the neighbors and will come in under budget. An in- house design team would do this. Singer is totally supportive of the trail on 10th Avenue. SINGER MOVED TO RECOMMEND ADOPTING THIS IMPROVEMENT PROJECT. KRAHULEC SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED, ALL AYES. Davis asked about the Old Rockford Road project on the far west side. There's a development going in on the south side. We typically get the easement for the trail Blank said. We're working with the engineering department on how wide this road will eventually be. If we think we can make a legitimate connection we have the developer do it. We know ahead of time what side of the road a trail will be on. Fiemann asked about the County 101 trail in orange and wanted to know when that would be done. Blank said in 2009 probably. The Council held two study sessions to talk about funding on open space and trails. We have one major funding source to build the park system and that's park dedication, Blank said. We get land or money for parks and trails from every development. Our plan has been to have the entire park system built by the day the last house in Plymouth is built. The park dedication fee is there to build the neighborhood parks, the city parks, and the playfields. Blank explained the challenge arises when the Northwest Greenway comes along and we try to build that, also. There's no funding source for the Greenway. We currently have six more neighborhood parks and one more playfield to acquire, Blank stated. Presently we don't have enough money to do both the Greenway and the remainder of the parks. One option is to have a bond referendum, Blank said. We are currently planning to go forward with a survey being conducted by Decision Resources on people's attitudes on open space and doing a bond referendum to purchase open space, Blank stated. It may be a $7,000,000 referendum, which adds $27 in taxes to the average homeowner in Plymouth. The Council is willing to go ahead and survey the community. It will be done the last two weeks in June. We have to notify the County by Sept. 15 if we are going to have an issue on the ballot. The school districts will have an election in '07, so we could hold off doing a referendum PRAC Minutes/June 2006 Page 6 until then. Blank said he's hearing $180,000 and higher per acre to acquire land for the 10th playfield. Our strategy right now is to put every dollar we make into the bank. Fiemann asked commissioners their feelings on the 10th playfield. Aamoth wants more information provided on this. Blank said the report made available tonight does contain all the information that was given to the City Council. At next month's meeting, more discussion will be held on this. Rezabek says we're way beyond needing it. He's hoping we can make this thing work. It's long overdue. Singer supports having the 10th playfield, and she'd like to add that the older constituency is physically active, so we also need to have the trails, etc. Davis commented that the population in the northwest area is growing. Krahulec was concerned about the money earmarked for parks being taken away for some other use. Blank confirmed that park dedication is strictly used for park development. There's no way it would be taken away for another purpose. Fiemann said that rugby is growing; soccer is still very popular, along with lacrosse, etc. He is strongly in favor of adding the 10th playfield. He also supports other outdoor recreational amenities. Fiemann would support a motion recommending that the Council strongly pursue the 10th playfield. Blank said we have built on every piece of property we have. An important consideration is to have land on reserve, Blank said. The Council is supportive of the 10th playfield, Blank stated. However, they haven't heard from any of the athletic associations about it lately, so that may be having an effect on how they feel about it. By July or August, the Council may need to hear more from PRAC and the athletic associations. Aamoth asked about other options. Blank said the only other option is not to build a 10th playfield. If we don't buy land, there won't be another playfield. It will be a multi- million dollar project. It will take four or five years before we can bring something on line even if we could buy the land now, Blank said. Right now the land isn't even for sale. Rezabek has heard from groups wanting to make Parkers Lake exclusively for baseball. Blank said this wouldn't work. It's been looked into, but the area is too small. 7. COMMISSION PRESENTATION There was no Commission presentation. 8. STAFF COMMUNICATION Does the commission want to have a park tour, Blank asked? He said PRAC could maybe visit some spray parks, an in -ground skate park, etc. Blank will come back at the July meeting with some options. The next meeting is Thursday, July 13. 9. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m.